If your Rottweiler has been grunting, groaning or moaning you might be wondering why and what you can do about it.
This post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do to get it to stop.
So, why does my Rottweiler groan? Possible reasons are that it is excited, looking for attention, bored, ill, injured, fearful, protecting food or possessions or you might have inadvertently rewarded the behavior.
Your Rottweiler might groan for a number of different reasons and it could be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider which will help in figuring out the exact reason. There are also a number of things you can do about it.
Why your Rottweiler grunts, moans and groans
Below, I will show you a number of reasons why your Rottweiler might have been doing it and what would make them more likely to be the main reason.
Excitement
The reason why your Rottweiler does it might be that it is excited. This would be more likely to be the reason if it tends to do it more in situations such as when you come home or when you are about to walk it.
It wants your attention
It could be the case that it does it because it wants to get extra attention from you. This would be more likely if it does it more when you have not been giving it much attention and if you tend to give it extra attention when it does it.
It would help to give it attention throughout the day by playing with it, training it and exercising it. However, in order to get it to stop moaning, it would help to avoid rewarding it when it behaves the way you don’t want it to and to reward it when it calms down.
Illness or injury
The cause could be that it has become ill or injured. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of being ill or injured such as vomiting or being fatigued. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.
Warning
The cause could be that it is warning you not to approach it. This would be more likely if it does it when people are trying to intimidate it or to enter its space. It would also be more likely if it shows signs of aggression (mentioned below) when doing it.
It’s protecting food or possessions
It might also be doing it because it is being possessive. This would be more likely if it does it when you go near it when it is eating or if you try to sit in its spot.
Dogs that are normally friendly can be aggressive when they are being possessive so it would be recommended to seek the help of a dog trainer to get the behavior to stop safely.
Boredom
The reason why it does it might also be that it needs more exercise. Rottweilers are a breed that is meant to get a lot of daily exercise and they can start to behave abnormally when they do not get enough. It would be more likely that your Rottweiler has been doing it due to needing more exercise if it tends to do it more when it has not gotten much exercise, at around the same time that it normally gets exercise and if it stops after getting exercise.
Generally, it is recommended for Rottweilers to get at least an hour of exercise per day as healthy adults.
Anxiety
It could also be the case that something has been causing it to be anxious. This would be more likely if it does it more in situations where it might be anxious such as when you are leaving home which would be a sign of separation anxiety.
Aggression
The reason why your Rottweiler has been doing it might also be that it has been being aggressive.
This would be more likely if it shows its teeth when it grumbles, it has its ears erect and it moves stiffly from side to side.
If it is the case that your Rottweiler seems to be doing it in an aggressive way, the best option for you would be to get the help of a dog behaviorist in your area.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider about your Rottweiler groaning or moaning.
The way that it grunts, moans or groans
It would help to consider how your Rottweiler has been doing it and the body language it shows when it does it.
If your Rottweiler shows its teeth, lunges at you, stands more erect or moves stiffly then it would be a sign of aggression. In this case, it would be best to keep your distance from it and to get the help of a professional dog behaviorist.
However, if your Rottweiler does not show any signs of aggression when it does it then it would still be important to be cautious since dogs can still be aggressive even when they are not showing signs of being aggressive.
When it first started to grunt, groan and moan
If your Rottweiler did not always groan or moan, it would help to consider what else happened at around the same time that it first started doing it since it might be the case that there was an event that caused it to start.
If it started doing it suddenly, it would be more likely to be due to things such as becoming ill, a sudden change in its daily routine, something causing it to be anxious or a change in its diet or.
When it does it
Another thing to consider would be the timing of when it does it since the timing could also have something to do with it.
For example, if it tends to do it more at around the same time that you would normally take it for a walk, it might be trying to remind you to walk it.
How to stop your Rottweiler from grunting, groaning or moaning
Below are some options you have when getting it to stop.
Positive reinforcement training
Positive reinforcement training involves rewarding the behaviors you want to see from your Rottweiler and avoiding rewarding bad behaviors.
To use it to get it to stop grunting, groaning or moaning you would do something such as:
- Stop giving it attention when it starts to make the noise
- Give it attention when it stops making noises
- Stop giving it attention again if it starts to make noise
- Repeat the above and reward it with treats when it does not make noise when it normally would
Avoid negative reinforcement training
It would also help to avoid inadvertently reinforcing the groaning by making sure not to give it rewards when it does it. If you tend to give it things that it wants when it does it then it might be doing it more in order to get more rewards.
Instead, it would help to reward it when it is behaving the way you want it to but to get help if it seems to be doing it for a reason such as injury.
Make sure it isn’t ill or injured
If you can’t figure out why your Rottweiler has been moaning it or it has started doing it suddenly, the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so, you will be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular Rottweiler and to rule out the possibility of illness or injury.
Give it attention throughout the day
It would also help to give it attention throughout the day so that it is less likely to seek it from you. Ways to give it attention would be to train it, exercise it and to play with it.
Get the help of a dog behaviorist
If it has been doing it aggressively or you are unable to get it to stop, it would also help to get help from a dog behaviorist. By doing so, you should be able to see why it has been doing it and how to get it to stop safely.